Bookmark



F. W. FINK Aug. 13, 1940..

v BOOKMARK Filed May 13, 1939 INVENTOR- Patented Aug. 13, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFiCE BOOKMARK Fred w. Fink, Fort Peck, ll/font.

Application May 13, 1939, Serial No. 273,505 4 Claims. (01. 116-119) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in a bookmark.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved bookmark comprising a thin fiat blade portion, a clip, and a head, so arranged that the plane of the blade is formed at right angles to the mean plane of the clip, whereby the bookmark is rendered applicable to all types of books,

; magazines and the like without danger of injury to the binding, or to the reader.

Another object of the invention is to provide a bookmark having the above characteristics, and which is so constructed as to involve no loose parts, but is, instead, entirely rigid and easily formed from a single short length of thin strap metal such as could be severed from a reel of metallic stripping. A single strip such as is illustrated by Fig. 3, may be used in forming the bookmark of Fig. 1.

A further object of the invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive bookmark, which may be manufactured utilizing high speed production at infinitesimally small costs.

Another object of the invention is to provide an inexpensive yet attractive and serviceable bookmark, having the features and advantages mentioned above.

The foregoing and other objects are attained by the means described herein, and disclosed by the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective View of the improved and simplified bookmark embodying the present invention.

Fig. 2- is a front elevational view of the bookmark, as it appears in viewing Fig. 1 from left to right.

Figs. 3 to 8 inclusive are views showing the successive steps involved in transforming the simple strip of sheet metal of Fig. '3, into the finished bookmark of Figs. 8 and 1.

Fig. 9 is a plan view of an alternative form of strip that might initially be employed in fabricating the improved bookmark of the invention.

It is appreciated that various types of bookmarks have 'been patented and offered for sale long prior to my present invention, and some of them have gone into quite general usage. It appears, however, that bookmarks of a commercial type have not been favored to such an extent that the majority of readers use them. Certain types of bookmarks are condemned on account of their cost, while others tend to inflict injury upon the books with which they are used. The latter objection is particularly true of bookmarks made of round wire, or having a round wire page separator. A round wire placed between the pages of a book, close to the binding, is known to be destructive to the binding when the book is closed; yet the problem of substituting a flat blade in place thereof without increasing the cost 5 of the marker, and especially the cost of manufacture thereof, has remained unsolved. The solution to this problem has been one of the objectives of the present invention, and has been realized in a highly practical manner. Various l0 benefits that have resulted from the practice of the present invention, will become manifest as the description proceeds.

With reference to the drawing, Figs. 1 and 2 illustrate the bookmark of the invention, which comprises a thin fiat blade l2, a head 13 for supporting a ribbon, cord .or other flexible element i i, and a clip l5 depending from the head in the same general direction of extension as the blade 52. The blade preferably is a very thin metallic 26 plate or strip, such that its insertion between the pages of a book, magazine or the like, will not result in the formation of a fulcrum or .obstruction capable of imposing any undue strains upon the binding or the back when the book or magazine is closed upon it. In this respect, as well as in other respects, the improved bookmark is distinguished from the majority of known devices of a more or less similar nature. To further distinguish,it should be observed that the clip 30 portion i5 has its mean plane disposed substantially at right angles 'to the plane of the blade I2, and the lower portion I6 of the clip may be disposed in actual contact with, or at least in close proximity with, the longitudinal edge ll of the blade. It is of course to be understood that the curvature of the clip need not be as pronounced as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing, and could in fact be perfectly straight, if desired. The clip preferably has the characteristic of limited r'esil- 0 iency, so that the lower portion I6 thereof may be yieldingly sprung away from the adjacent edge I! of the blade. Following the practice employed in the manufacture of clips for pens and pencils, the member l5 may be structurally strengthened 5 by rendering it slightly convex from the location iii to a point such as l8 near the junction of the clip with the head 13.

In the preferred form of the bookmark, the blade, the head, and the clip are formed of a 5 single elongated strip of thin resilient sheet metal, illustrated by Fig. 3, and the head therefore comprises a plurality of folds lying in a plane substantially at right angles to the blade l2 and to the mean plane of the clip l5. During the folding of the strip to form the head I3, one end of the ribbon, cord or other flexible element I4 is anchored and fixed between the folds, so that the element I4 forms a permanent part of the bookmark. The head I3 preferably, though not necessarily, is made substantially flat in order to properly accommodate the ribbon or element I4. The parts I2, I3 and I5, being integral portions of the metal strip I9 of Fig. 3, bear a rigid relationship to one another, except for the expected inherent resiliency of the metal. It will accordingly be observed that the assembly of the bookmark does not require separate operations of attaching or combining any metallic constituents. As disclosed in Fig. 1, the anchored end 20 of the ribbon or cord I 4, may be wrapped over the top of the head I3 and tucked beneath it, whereby the folds of the metal head may securely clamp the ribbon or cord incidentally to the formation of the head.

As will be understood, the bookmark is applied to a book or the like, by merely inserting the pointed end of blade I2 between the pages of the book or magazine, close to the back or binding, while the clip portion engages and embraces the exterior of the binding or back of the book or magazine. The bookmark of the invention is applicable to books and the like having bindings of the loose back variety, as well as those wherein the binding is intimately associated with the back. In the loose back variety of book, the clip I5 may be disposed within the space between the back and the binding of the book. In that event, the clip would not be exposed along the back of the book. On books of the magazine variety and those which have a tight back binding, the clip I5 will be exposed along the back or rear edge of the book or magazine. The resiliency of the upper portion of the clip is .required to accommodate the backs or bindings of books or other compilations regardless of the manner in which they are bound.

With reference now to Figs. 3 to 8 inclusive, which illustrate the succession of steps employed in fabricating the book-mark, it will be noted that the process begins with a simple elongated metallic ribbon or strip I9, Fig. 3. The opposite ends of the strip may be rounded or otherwise nicely finished, as shown. The first operation is to fold the strip upon itself as at 2| of Fig. 4, so that the blade portion I 2 will be disposed at right angles to the clip portion I5. The fold is made at a point substantially midway between the ends of the strip, but preferably slightly closer to the clip end I5. After having completed the fold of Fig. 4, rotation of the part I2 is continued, about the axis of the vertical part I5, thereby forming another fold 22 to the rear part I5, during which operation the length of the section I2 is reduced by an amount slightly in excess of the width of the strip. At this step of the folding procedure, the end 25 of the ribbon or flexible element I 6 may be inserted between the folds of the metallic strip, whereupon the wrapping of the section I2 is continued about the axis of the portion I5, as indicated in Fig. 6, wherein section I2 has been brought across the folds previously formed. At this stage of the procedure, the junction of the sections I2 and I5 may be tightly squeezed or pressed for clamping' the ribbon securely between the folds of the metal at the junction; thereafter, the section I2 is bent forwardly with a sharp angle formation at approximately a point 23, to dispose the section I2 to the Fig. 7 position, at which said section assumes a right-angular relationship to the folded portion 23, which constitutes the head I3 of the bookmark. As the final step of the procedure, the section I2 is forced downwardly so that its edge I! approaches the clip portion l5, resulting in the formation illustrated in Fig. 8. The curvature of the clip portion I5, or any other desired finishing or shape thereof, may be performed at any stage of the process from Fig. 3 to Fig. 7 inclusive. As before stated, however, it is not absolutely necessary to impose upon the clip portion I5 the particular shape illustrated in Fig. 1, although some degree of curvature and perhaps a slight convexity lengthwise, is to be considered desirable. It should be noted that Fig. 8 corresponds to Fig. 2 except for omission of the ribbon or flexible element I4 for the purpose of clarity in the explanation of the process of fabrication.

In Fig; 9 is illustrated a right-angled strip of metal that might alternatively be used in forming the clip, so that in carrying out the process, the first fold at 2| of Fig. 4 may be eliminated. In other words, the formation of the bookmark using the type of strip illustrated in Fig. 9, would begin with the step indicated by Fig. 5. Of course, if the leg or section I20 be made sufficiently long, the number of folds at the junction I30, resulting from wrapping the section I20 axially about the leg I50, could be increased for establishing a larger head for the bookmark, as well as increased areas for clamping of the ribbon between the folds. The same is true in the use of the Fig. 3 strip, should one or two extra folds or wraps be considered desirable, in the formation ..1

of the head of the bookmark.

In the use of the bookmark of the invention, the entire head will be exposed beyond the tops of the pages of the book or other compilations to which the device is applied, so that regardless of where the thin blade I2 may be located, between pages, it will nevertheless be possible for the reader to dispose the ribbon or flexible element I4 between any two pages for marking the place where the reader desires to resume his reading. At this point, it may be mentioned that a plurality of ribbons may be applied to the head of the marker if desired, and when more than one ribbon is used, they may be distinguished from one another in any suitable manner, such as by the use of different colors. Because of the slight expense involved in the purchase of bookmarks of the character herein disclosed. a reader will not be inclined to forego the use of bookmarks for fear of losing them. Moreover the bookmark of the present invention is easy to apply and to remove, and there are no loose parts to become entangled in the readers sleeves or other clothing. Of considerable importance, however, is the fact that the entire clip can be made from a three-inch strip of metal, of a thickness approximating .015" to .020", with the result that the blade of the bookmark will not be sufficiently thick to form an obstruction within the book capable of disintegrating or otherwise injuring the binding.

It is to be understood that the material of which the bookmark is made may be optional with the manufacturer, and that the thickness of the material is capable of variation according to the character of the metal or other material from which the bookmark is formed. Various other modifications and changes in structural details, some of which have been mentioned heretofore, may be resorted to, within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

l. A bookmark which comprises a single longitudinal ribbon of thin and resilient sheet metal of uniform width and thickness throughout, folded and overlapped repeatedly intermediate its ends to provide a flat blade and a solid flattened head at one end of the blade, and a clip for engaging the book back, the clip depending from the head and extending along one edge of the blade, the mean plane of the clip being disposed substantially at right angles to the plane of the flat blade.

2. A bookmark which comprises a single strip of thin and resilient sheet metal folded intermediate its end to provide a flattened head for the bookmark, a flexible ribbon clamped and fixed between the folds of the bookmark head and adapted for disposition between the pages of a book, a thin flat blade constituted of one of the strip ends and depending from the head at right angles thereto for insertion between the pages of a book, and a clip for engaging the book back, said clip being constituted of the remaining end of the metal strip and depending from the head along an edge of the blade, with the mean plane 01' the clip disposed substantially at right angles to the head and to the plane of the blade.

.3. A bookmark which comprises a single strip of thin and resilient sheet metal folded flatwise repeatedly intermediate its ends to provide a flatened head for the bookmark, a flexible ribbon clamped and fixed between the folds of the bookmark head and adapted for disposition between the pages of a book, a thin flat blade constituted of one of the strip ends and depending from the head at right angles thereto for insertion between the pages of a book, and a clip for engaging the book back, said clip being constituted of the remaining end of the metal strip and depending from the head along and in yielding contact upon an edge of the blade, with the mean plane of the clip disposed substantially at right angles to the head and to the plane of the blade.

4. A bookmark which comprises a single L- shaped strip of thin sheet metal having opposite end portions and an intermediate angular portion all of uniform width and thickness, and having one of the end portions flatly folded repeatedly upon the intermediate portion to provide a head for the bookmark, a flexible ribbon clamped and fixed between the folds ofv the bookmark head and adapted for disposition between the pages of a book, a thin flat blade constituted of one of the end portions and depending from the head substantially at right angles along a medial line of the head, and .a clip constituted of the opposite fiat end portion of the strip, said clip having, a flat anchored end comprising one of the head folds and a free end depending from the head, said free end extending along an edge of the blade with the mean plane of the clip disposed substantially at right angles to the plane of the blade.

FRED W. FINK. 

